1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to computer program intended to be run on a personal computer. More particularly, the present invention enables a technically unsophisticated user to conduct a sophisticated and substantially undetectable review of all files residing on a computer to determine if a user of the computer has been exposed to or sought offensive materials from the Internet and other sources.
2. Description of Prior Art
The current number of worldwide Internet users is estimated to be in excess of 50 million, with many of those users being children. As of January 1998 more than 45 million households owned a personal computer. While the Internet is an unprecedented avenue for the sharing of ideas and information, there is also a great concern for its inherent threat to corporate and personal security.
The Internet is becoming one more avenue where children are exposed to violence and sex. Today there are many children who use computers and who posses the technical sophistication to use the Internet and connect to the many resources available. Many parents of these children are unable to use a computer and, because of this, are not aware of what, or who, their children may have been exposed to. The Internet is a wonderful place for children as long as they receive guidance and supervision. However, the Internet makes also available many web sites that focus on and graphically depict the depraved side of human nature. The line separating the desired innocent use of the Internet from depravity is very thin. With an inadvertent misspelling of a site name an underage Internet user may be exposed to sites containing:
pornography; PA1 extreme and tasteless sexual images; PA1 violent words and images of violence; PA1 images of drug use and drug promotion; PA1 instructions of criminal skills, such as bomb making; PA1 Internet gambling; PA1 e-mail containing objectionable words/phrases; and more. PA1 1. choosing where, i.e., in what directory on the computer, the software is to be installed; PA1 2. whether the user wants to change the name of the program under the program directory; PA1 3. whether the user wants a short-cut icon placed on windows desktop; and PA1 4. after the install process is completed, the user must setup or customize the program. PA1 a working knowledge of computers; PA1 the installation of software; PA1 watching a tutorial introduction to the workings of the software; PA1 setting specific controls to conform the software to the hardware requirements; and PA1 testing which requires logging to adult Internet sites. PA1 doing business, such as offering products and information for sale and presenting corporate information; PA1 communicating through the use of e-mail; and PA1 performing research.